Eve of the War
by Ami Rotter
Summary: Harry is alone packing, as he gets ready for his horcrux mission. He is interrupted by a very upset Ginny and in comforting her, the pair finally admit their feelings for each other.


Harry hadn't slept properly in days and was exhausted, but he really needed to pack desperately. Tomorrow he and his two best friends were heading off to find the horcruxes and he hadn't packed a thing. He'd been thinking so much about the mission ahead, he had kind of forgotten about the whole practicalities of the situation. Obviously Hermione was well and truly ready and she had somehow got Ron sorted, but he had been so distracted he'd not done a thing.

He was sat in the burrow, in the room Molly had so generously let him stay; picking out the last few bits and bobs. The Weasley's had gone out and left Harry on his own; they were having a last mean out with Ron, before he left. That was why Harry was so surprised when he heard a loud bang, coming from the kitchen directly below him. He dropped the things he was carrying and ran down the stairs, to the kitchen. On walking through the living room he was firstly greeted by the sight of a smashed cup, on the kitchen floor. As he walked around the corner, he could hear sobs growing louder. In the corner of the kitchen Ginny was sat, leaning against a cupboard door with her knees to her chest, with tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Ginny, I thought you were out with your family." Ginny looked up to Harry, she instantly ran to him and enveloped him in a hug. "Ginny, what's wrong."

"I'm sorry Harry." She sobbed.

"What are you sorry for?" Harry was utterly confused by the apology.

"I'm sorry I broke the mug, I'll clean it up I promise."

"Don't worry about it Ginny." He leant back, so he was face to face with Ginny, and wiped her tears away. "What's the matter?" He said softly.

"I don't want you guys to go, I don't think I could lose you Harry." She said desperately. "What happens if Voldemort gets you? I hate my brother sometimes, but I don't want him to be killed. Hermione is my best friend too, what am I going to do without her."

"You don't have to worry about us, not with Hermione around; she is the smarts witch I've ever known." Ginny let out a large sob. "Well, second smartest after you." Harry added quickly.

"Cedric Diggory was clever and that didn't help him."

"We have to do this Ginny, things will get worse if we don't. Everything has been planned and we will be so careful not to be found. I promise I will come back to this place in one piece and the world will be a better place." Harry grinned.

"You better, Harry Potter, or I will have to find you and kill you myself." The pair laughed for a moments, until the suddenly realised the closeness of their bodies and their faces. Harry and Ginny sprung apart as they had both received a large electric shock. There was a silence for a brief moment, until Harry finally broke it.

"I need to go back upstairs, we are leaving early in the morning and I still have some packing to do." He coughed nervously, before he made his way back upstairs. He hadn't much packing left to, but the sudden awkwardness of the situation with Ginny had propelled him back to the room. He'd always had affections for Ginny, but over the past year they had developed further and he couldn't bare it. He didn't want to get too close to her, before he left to find the horcruxes, because it would make things more difficult for him and he'd told Ginny this. She had fought his protests for a while, but in the end she could see that Harry wouldn't change his mind.

"Harry I can't do this anymore." Ginny walked in, as Harry was closing his trunk. "I can't deal with us tippy toeing around each other."

"Pardon?" Harry almost made himself dizzy he'd turned around so quickly.

"I love you and I know you love me and I know you say you'll be fine, but you might never come back from this mission. We have to make the most of our time together, even if it is only tonight." Ginny remained in the doorway.

"We've had this discussion before; we can't do anything before we go on this mission. I don't want you to be sitting here waiting for me."

"Don't flatter yourself Potter; I'm not going to become a hermit while you're gone. I am going to miss you guys and I will worry about you every day, but my life will not end while you're away." During her brief monologue, she had closed the gap between her and Harry. His breath suddenly became slow as, for the second time today, their bodies were in very close proximity. Ginny had become tired of Harry's excuses and she was taking matters in to her own hands. She tentatively grabbed hold of the front of his shirt and pulled him, so they were now touching. Without much more hesitation she kissed him hard on the lips and Harry couldn't hold back any longer. Soon their hands were franticly roaming each other and they were holding each other, like they would never see one another again. Before they went too far Ginny pulled away, leaving Harry breathless.

"I want to leave you with something to look forward to." Ginny grinned slyly.

"I will always look forward to seeing you again." Harry kissed her again, but the noise of the Weasleys entering the house brought them back in to the real world. The pair walked down apart, so as not to raise any suspicions from the family.

"How are you feeling Ginny?" Her mother brought her in to a hug.

"I am much better, I spoke to Harry and he made me feel much better." Molly smiled as she moved to hug Harry also. All too soon it was time to go to bed and prepare for tomorrow's big day.

"Harry, I want to stay with you tonight." Ginny walked in, as Harry was climbing in to bed. Harry didn't respond as Ginny slid in next to him; his arms wrapped around her waist and they slept together, not worrying about the year ahead. The following morning Ginny cried again as she watched her friends walking down the burrow pathway, before they were to apparate away. As she watched them reach the apparation point, she saw Harry stop the other two. He turned to look at Ginny, before running back up the path way so he was standing in front of her.

"I couldn't leave without kissing you!" He pulled her in for a very long kiss, much to the distaste of Ron. "I will be back for you."

"Make sure you look after the other two." Ginny smiled and kissed him again, before he ran back to Ron and Hermione. In an instant they had apparated away, leaving Ginny with the rest of the Weasleys and a few others, who wanted to say goodbye. Although she was surrounded by most of her family, she felt alone without her closest friends.

Somewhere in the middle of nowhere Harry was preparing his room, in the tent they had erected. He was sharing a bunk with Ron, but he still felt brave enough to put a picture of Ginny at the end of his bed; she was going to get him through this difficult year.


End file.
